Artist Database

REEVES, Gladys

Born

Somerset, England, 1890

Died

Edmonton, Alberta, 1974

Biography synopsis

Gladys Reeves emigrated with her family to Edmonton in 1904. A few months later, at the age of fifteen, Reeves was hired by local studio photographer Ernest Brown starting as his receptionist and later working as Brown's assistant until 1920 when his business failed. Browne then helped Reeves set up her own studio, The Art League, which was thought to be the first studio run by a woman west of Winnipeg. The studio was destroyed by a fire in 1929 but with the help of Brown, Reeves rebuilt and managed to stay in business until 1949. Reeves was an accomplished portrait photographer and also documented many events in and around Edmonton. In the 1930s Reeves and Brown opened the Pioneer Days Museum. After Brown's death in 1951 Reeves held the copyright to his work and was hired by the Alberta Government to catalogue his collection. The Provincial Archives of Alberta holds a collection of Reeves works. Her works were included in an exhibition entitled "Rediscovery: Canadian Women Photographers 1841-1941" that toured Eastern Canada in 1983 and 1984.